


Happiness

by redsnake05



Category: A Civil Contract - Georgette Heyer, HEYER Georgette - Works
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-17
Updated: 2013-12-17
Packaged: 2018-01-04 22:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1086370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redsnake05/pseuds/redsnake05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On their way back from their honeymoon, Lydia and Brough have dinner with Mr Chawleigh, and Lydia thinks about the different things that make her happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happiness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DesertVixen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/gifts).



"My Lady," said Mr Chawleigh, coming forward with his hand outstretched as Lydia and Brough were announced. 

"Papa Chawleigh!" said Lydia, ignoring his offered handshake and hugging him ruthlessly. "If you mean to call me "My Lady" in that odious way, we'll fall out at once."

"We can't have that," said Brough, waiting for Lydia to release Mr Chawleigh before shaking his hand warmly. "It's good to see you, sir."

"I take it very kindly in you to come and see me," Mr Chawleigh said. "Especially since you just got back from your honeymoon."

"Nonsense," said Lydia, waving away this politeness. "We're practically family, and if I have to tell Jenny I haven't seen you while in London, she will turn me out of Fontley, never to darken the door again."

Mr Chawleigh chuckled and ushered them to seats next to the fire. The butler served sherry and Mr Chawleigh took his own seat. 

"When are you going to Fontley?" he asked. 

"The day after tomorrow," said Lydia. "Brough has some business to attend to, very boring stuff, I'll be bound, but then we stop at Fontley on our way home."

"Business, is it?" asked Mr Chawleigh. He looked inquiringly at Brough, and for several minutes the men neglected Lydia to talk of investments and funds. She let them talk, recognising the look of interest on Brough's face and realising that he was probably rather glad to have an opportunity to speak with Mr Chawleigh about it. 

Her mind wandered. She thought about the first time she'd been in this room, and how commonplace she'd thought Jenny then, how ready she'd been to dislike her. She hadn't understood, then, what Jenny had brought to Adam, or, in fact, to them all. Papa Chawleigh had been one of the first of the gifts, and Brough another, in a roundabout way. She smiled as she remembered the joy and quiet commonsense that Jenny had brought to her and Brough's wedding. She was glad she could see the joy in Jenny now.

There was a pause in the murmur of masculine conversation and Lydia looked up to find them both looking at her. SHe collected her thoughts in a hurry.

"Woolgathering, lass?" asked Mr Chawleigh. "I'm right sorry we've neglected you."

"Come to Fontley with us," said Lydia, following the impulse of the moment. She knew it would make Jenny happy, and Papa Chawleigh too. "Imagine how surprised Jenny will be to see you!"

"Nay, I've not time, and perhaps they have other grand friends visiting."

"No, indeed," said Lydia, "no one grander than ourselves, and if you mean to be too top-lofty for us then we really shall fall out. Besides, I rely on you to help me hold Giles properly. He's as wriggly as an eel."

"I don't deny I'd be happy to see him again," said Mr Chawleigh. "He's going to be a right handful, the little rascal."

"Then, please, sir, we'd be delighted to extend the hospitality of Lynton's house to you," said Brough, endorsing Lydia's invitation. Lydia smiled at him warmly, thanking him for his support and resting her hand on his arm for just a moment.

"It's not seemly, not without an invitation," protested Mr Chawleigh.

"As if you need an invitation," said Lydia. "Wait until I tell Jenny the shifts I was put to, to get her Father to visit."

Mr Chawleigh argued a little more, but agreed in the end, as Lydia knew he would. In the coach, on the way back to their hotel, she slid her hand into Brough's and leaned her head against his shoulder, filled with satisfaction. He was to meet them at their hotel and everything was settled.

"Happy?" Brough asked.

"Rapturously," she said. He huffed a laugh, and she chuckled, remembering the first time she'd told him she was rapturously happy. She supposed this was one of the silly, foolish jokes that married couples shared. She imagined Jenny and Adam, and found that she could see them enjoying this sort of happiness. It wasn't epic or tragic, and she wasn't going to declaim, but she was happy beyond what she could ever have imagined two years ago.

"Jenny and Adam will be happy to see Mr Chawleigh, too," Brough said. 

"Of course," said Lydia. "That was a stroke of genius, I must say."

"You are so modest."

"Bother modesty," said Lydia. "Happiness is much more important."

Brough shifted to lean down and kiss her cheek, then, as she turned her head, her mouth. Freeing his hand, he slowly slid it up the line of her body as they kissed. He gently squeezed one breast and lifted his mouth from hers to ask, "Should we practice some more happiness later?"

Lydia giggled and thought of their bed and the happiness that Brough had in mind. "I think that's an _excellent_ idea, and we should practice _very_ thoroughly." As Brough laughed, she tugged him back down to kiss him again.


End file.
